Fifteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

In 2006, the School of Construction and the Environment (SoCE) at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) initiated a project on the North end of campus aimed at creating an ecologically sustainable microcosm, or “Ecocity Fractal”. This paper reviews how, working as a living lab project, we demonstrated sustainable practices on campus, providing opportunities to engage students in the transformation of the built environment as an ecologically sustainable learning space. The goal was to reduce our footprint while maintaining services. Through energy efficiency improvements, six buildings have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 50%. Future plans to connect our educational wood-waste-to-energy district energy system will achieve reductions up to 90%. In addition to reducing our carbon footprint we are working towards the ecological restoration of the area. Projects have included hundreds of students, faculty from over a dozen programs, and members of the BCIT service departments. The co-benefits of pursuing sustainability on campus have been numerous and provide a model for other communities and educational institutions. Students reported higher levels of satisfaction and improved workplace quality. We have improved health and safety, air quality, classroom delivery, campus look and feel, and improved the sense of pride and ownership in our educators.